Thursday, February 19, 2009

Welcome to the first ever Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament! As I mentioned on Monday, my main motivation behind doing this is to try to create a thorough list of the best blogs that cover and discuss Pittsburgh sports. I also hope that this to be something fun and that no one takes things too seriously. The first round voting starts now (assuming that the survey software works OK) and ends on Friday, February 20 at 8:00pm Eastern time. If nothing else, enjoy the logo!

A few items that I didn't address when I posted the 32-blog bracket yesterday. The seedings were partially based on Ballhype rankings and partially on my perspective on the blogs' overall popularity. I also created four divisions named for four of my favorite Pittsburgh sports athletes: Sammy Khalifa, Jock Callander, Demetreus Gore and Rich Erenberg.

Let the voting begin! (One vote per person, please. We don't want this to be like the NHL All-Star voting.)

Brother Anthony - The seeding process was difficult so there are some tough first round match-ups. As for Dejan, the PBC blog is not eligible since he also writes almost daily columns. As I wrote in the comments section earlier this week, Dejan would easily win this contest. He is the best Pittsburgh sports blogger out there (his sources and access to the Pirates facility and clubhouse also helps). To AJ's question, if there is a 2nd annual tournament (huge if), I'm not sure what to do with Smizik. Although he gets paid, he's a full-time blogger now. Seth at Empty Netters and Dan at Blog 'N' Gold made this list since they don't write in the print edition of the P-G.

Lou - See above.

Tecmo - Thanks for answering the earlier comment. Do Big Bird or Oscar the Grouch have a blog? :)

Nick - I had a feeling I might miss someone. I thought I knew most of the Pittsburgh sports blogs and also checked Ballhype to see if there were others I didn't know. My apologize to Stillers.com.

Patchovan - Steve Is Alive has not been around a year.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by and voting thus far! The first round voting ends Friday at 8:00pm Eastern.

Pittsburgh Penguins standout and NHL scoring leader Evgeni Malkin should answer to the NHL for his disgraceful hit to the head of Kings forward Wayne Simmonds in the waning seconds of the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Kings Friday at Pittsburgh.

Malkin got his left shoulder into Simmonds' face as Simmonds was pursuing the puck, and the blow clearly dazed Simmonds for a few seconds. It was a needless, senseless play seconds before the end of a game that had been decided -- and it's exactly the kind of shot to the head that the NHL claims it's intent on ending.

Wayne Simmonds is a professional ice hockey player, currently playing as a right wing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is one of a small number of black players in the league. A right-handed shooter, Simmonds was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 61st overall.

It's inappropriate to recite the racist joke that the men at Fox Sports 970 decided to share about the Malkin incident Saturday evening. In short, they thought it was hysterically funny to make a racist joke about the NHL being racist, the color of the puck, and the like. It obviously likens Wayne Simmonds to a hockey puck and played on a long-standing African-American racist slur.

To Pittsburgh's absolute shame and regret no one made a fuss about how inappropriate the racist joke was. As a city we should do something more! But, what?

George Lopez, D.L. Hughley and Eddie Murphy all talk about race in their jokes. However, they understand the fine line between what is funny and what is truly offensive. People who don't get this go into entertainment purgatory and pay for their sins. Can you say Don Imus?

Will Simmonds get any justice?

Similar to the drawing, from famed cartoonist Sean Delonas (a cartoon likening the author of the stimulus bill, perhaps President Barack Obama, with a rabid chimpanzee graced the pages of the New York Post), the Fox Sports 970 racist joke was rife with violent imagery and racial undertones.

Nonetheless, the most important question? Does the NHL apply equally to grunts and superstars.

No consideration should be given to the fact that the Penguins are in the thick of a playoff race. Malkin should have considered that before he delivered that very dangerous blow to Simmonds' head.

First known as "970 The Burgh," today, WBGG-AM calls itself "Fox Sports Radio 970." It is one of the premier destinations for Pittsburgh-area sports fans, serving as a flagship for the Steelers, Penguins and University of Pittsburgh Radio Networks.

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Welcome to Sean's Ramblings! If you're looking for thoughts on pop culture, music, fun and informative links, random DC and Pittsburgh info, sports (particularly Pittsburgh sports), and just what's going on in my life, then you're come to the right place.
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